Aimee & Matt | Suffolk tipi wedding
If you’ve ever considered having your wedding reception at home, then after seeing Aimee and Matt’s gorgeous tipi wedding in Woodbridge, Suffolk, you’ll likely be converted! I guess it goes without saying that you’ll probably need a garden big enough, though. Aimee and Matt’s wedding day was centred around Woodbridge, Suffolk, as they tied the knot at the town centre’s famous Shire Hall, followed by their reception back at Matt’s parents’ house up the road. I thought I had a big back garden (not a euphemism), but this was not so much a back yard as a country park! It was also hard to believe we were in mid-September, as it was a really hot and incredibly sunny day – just one of the reasons I loved this day.
The day started for me at Aimee’s parents house where she and her girls were getting ready. Aimee’s prep will remain long in the memory as one of the occasions where something got spilled down one of the dresses (not Aimee’s, thank goodness). Cue a scream, lots of running up and down the stairs and one dress quickly cleaned then dried off with a hairdryer. During all of this I hid in the kitchen. Don’t worry – as you’ll see below, everything was fine and dress looked like nothing had ever happened. Phew!
This was one of the rare occasions I was photographing a wedding by myself and without a second shooter, so once Aimee was in her dress I hastily made my way to the Shire Hall to meet up with Matt, and capture some of the guests arriving. The Shire Hall is a lovely historical building in the town centre, and we all packed into the ceremony room to await the arrival of the bride. It’s always a nervy time just before the ceremony kicks off, and I enjoyed capturing Matt trying to suppress his emotions as Aimee arrived at the top of the aisle.
After confetti and a few quick snaps outside the Shire Hall, we all headed back to Matt’s parents’ house about 5 minutes away, where a large tipi was set up in the garden, beautifully styled with assorted gin bottles and flowers, alongside a cheeky little bar serving some very tempting drinks in the afternoon sun. Beyond the tipi, Aimee and Matt had set up garden games, accompanied by festoon lights criss-crossing overhead.
The speeches were emotional and comedic in equal measure, and after I made the new Mr & Mrs stand in the road then stand near some snakes in a woodpile, everyone cut loose on the dancefloor. What a day. I want to do it again!
What they said:
“We knew from the moment we found her that we’d made the right decision. From our first conversation through to the big day and beyond Sally was absolutely fantastic and put us both at ease. She is so approachable, reassuring, laid back and most importantly the photos she captured on our wedding day are everything we had hoped for and more. I’ve looked at them every single day since we received them and Sally has captured the essence of day and what was important to us beautifully. I know that my wife and I will enjoy looking through them for many, many years to come. Thank you Sally.”
